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A lawyer yesterday warned internet users they could be traced and prosecuted if they defied a judge's order suppressing the identity of the man accused of murdering Auckland Grammar School student Augustine Borrell.
An 18-year-old unemployed Otahuhu man appeared in court yesterday charged with Augustine's murder, and was granted interim name suppression.
The order prevents anyone naming or identifying the accused and both the Crown and Judge Sarah Fleming emphasised that included discussing the case on the internet.
This follows widespread allegations on the Bebo website about who fatally stabbed Augustine a few minutes before midnight on Saturday.
The main site, to which many messages were directed at the alleged murderer, has been closed.
Prosecutor Ross Burns said the suppression order meant all online references to the accused should be removed from websites and no further messages about him posted.
After the hearing Mr Burns said: "The Department of Internal Affairs monitors internet websites and is perfectly capable of tracing postings back to the original poster and if that happens and they are found to have breached the order then they are liable for criminal prosecution."
Mr Burns applied for the interim suppression order, telling the court that police still wanted to interview several people in connection with Augustine's death and publication of the accused's name would not be helpful.
The accused's lawyer, Ron Mansfield, had little to say about yesterday's court appearance, during which his client stood quietly in the dock.
"He was just shocked and saddened by what had happened."
As the teen left the dock, after being remanded in custody until next week, he glanced at the public gallery, acknowledging a small group of friends who had come to support him.
Some of those friends had been out with him on the night of the alleged murder.
One teen said he had "respect" for the accused because he handed himself in to the police station on Tuesday morning.
The 18-year-old is also facing a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm another teenager, David Moynahan.
Mr Moynahan was cut in the head at a party in St Mary's Bay, hours before the murder that took place after a separate party in Herne Bay.
His father, Michael Moynahan, managing director of publishing company Random House NZ, said yesterday the family did not want to talk about the incident.
The police investigation into Augustine's death continues but police say they are no longer seeking a second person. That teenager was interviewed yesterday and is not facing any charges.
Augustine Borrell's grieving friends have begun tagging fences in his memory - but police say it is not the sort of commemoration the dead teen would have wanted.
Yesterday, as the page where allegations about who killed the 17-year-old was pulled from the Bebo site, a new one appeared in memory of the Auckland Grammar School student.
One page has a photo gallery which includes at least three pictures of fences and buildings daubed with the words "R.I.P Augustine".
In one of the pictures a large group of uniformed Auckland Grammar students hold pictures of the dead teen in front of a wall that has been tagged with white spraypaint. Underneath the picture it says "The Boyz ... Much love bro".
